Positioning device for knitting-machine elements



A. E. PAGE July 5 1927.

POSITIONING DEVICE FOR KNITTIN MACHINE ELEMENTS Filed Dec. 21, 1925 a "v: D? 2 2 a--- u 0 n 2 F .L

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Patented July 5, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT E. PLGE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ABSIGNOB TO SCOTT Q; WELIAIB, E. OOBPOEA'I'ED, OF NEW YORK, ll- Y., A CORPORATION 01' HASBACHUSETTS.

POSITIONING DEVICE FOR KNITTING-MACHINE 8.

Application fled December 81, 1825. Serial Ho; 76,585.

This invention relates to knitting machines in which the relationship between a verge or edge of a needle bed and movable instruments engaging a yarn to make the interknit 5 fabric loops is important to the production of uniform fabric. I

In common practice the actual verge or abutment upon which the yarn rests to be drawn into a loop by the proper motion of a hooked needle is comprised of the like edges of movable web-holders of uniform dimensions, and the length of the loop drawn depends on the degree of recession of the needle hook below the plane defined by these web-holder edges. Assuming uniformity in the loop-drawing motion of the needles and uniformity of dimension of the web-holders or sinkers, reliance for uniform position of the web-holders is upon a bearing-surface related to the needle bed, and the position of this surface is the ultimate factor in securing uniformity of stitch-length. When the needle bed is cylindrical, this critical surface should most accurately coincide with a surface of revolution about the actual axis of the rotating part. If the needle cylinder itself rotates in respect to relatively stationary cams for operating the needles and movin the web-holders, it is necessary that 30 a who e revolution of the needle cylinder shall take place without any substantial vertical displacement due to this rotation of any part of the surfaces of the instruments in respect .to the vertical position of the needle cams, especially the active stitch cam. If the cams are rotary, the position of the verge of the cylinder must be accurately parallel to the plane of rotation of the lower apex of the stitch cam.

In the use of very fine gauge machines, as many as fifty courses of fabric to the inch are made. Since the length of an each course accurately measures t e difference between effective length of the needle 45 making it and the vertical distance separating the lower apex of the stitch cam and the knocking-over ver or surface at the top of the cylinder, variation in the value of this difference, if persistent, affects the fabric so seriously. The cumulative length 'of the fabric due to different lengths of loops as between one side of the fabric and theother side of the fabric in the fine gauge machines mentioned will, for example, be fifty times 55 the vertical deviation of the verge or edge loop of in each inch, and if the needle-verge be out ference. In machines manufactured by the best practices errors of this order of magnitude a re prone to occur as the result of lack of rigidity 1n lathes or grinding machines,

differences of hardness of the metal, and

temperature conditions.

An object of this invention is to provide a verge bearin for -instruments at the knocking-over p ane of knitting machines capable of precision correction after the assembly of the machine to bring the bearing into coincidence with its correct relative position.

In the accompanying drawing the invention is illustrated as applied to a circular machine, of which Fig. 1 is a vertical diametrical section through the needle cylinder showing the bearing ring in place;

Fig. 2 is a plan, partly broken away, of the device of F' 1; and

Fig. 3 is an en arged detail section on the plane 33 of Fi 2.

The needle cylinder, referring to Fig. 1, may be grooved for needles as shown at 2, these grooves intersecting an annular ledge 3 adapted to receive an annular web-holder bed 10 fastened to the cylinder 1 suitably, usually by the friction of fitting machined surfaces and clamps. The grooves 11 of the bed 10 are des1gnedly on radial planes centrally intersecting the spaces between the needle grooves 2. Slight circumferential deviation from this position is not important if the needle cylinder ver e provides circumferentially ad ustable in oard positioning guides for the inner arms of the webholders, such as the web-holders 20, which have sufficient lateral freedom in their guiding slots tobe positioned properly by slight circumferential adjustment of the lnboard guides. The vertical position of the webholders 20 is consequent upon the bearing of lower edges, such as the'edges 21 of their upper arms 22, on a surface at the upper edge of cylinder 1.

In the preferred IOI'mSlLQWII this vertical positioning surface is the upper face 25- of a projecting integral annular ledge 26 of a bearing ring 30 having other external surfaces of revolution 27 and 28 respectively adopted to fit, with a minute degree of loose ness, internal surfaces of revolution 4 and 5 formed within the upperend of the cylinder 1. One or both of the fitting surfaces 4 and 27, 5 and 28, may be conical; as shown, the surfaces 5 and 28 are conical, and the surfaces 4 and 27 are cylindrical.

The annular ledge 26 of the ring 30 may provide on its under surface the usual bearin for the top edge of a lower arm of the we -holders 20, and the annular slot 31 defining this surface may be extended inwardly at 32 as usual to provide for lint discharge. Preferably the ring 30 provides the upper annular projection 34 radially slotted at 35 to provide inboard positioning guides for the web-holders 20. The annular ledge 26 is cut throu h, alternating in position with the slots 35,%)y slots 36 in radial planes continuing the needle-grooves 2.

The lower part c the ring 30 is cut away internally to provide a preferably conical internal fian e 40 whose lower and external surface is t e fitting surface 28. The ledge 40 provides a seat accessible through the upper open end of the cylinder for micrometric positioning screws adapted to be used for minute correction of the position of the whole ring 30 or of any of its segments, the elasticity of the metal permitting a suflicient motion for this purpose.

Preferably the ledge 40 is circumferentially slotted at 41 at a suflicient number of places, shown as four, to receive loosely the shanks of headed hold-down screws 42 in threaded holes in cylinder 1. Near the slots 41 the flange 40 is drilled and tapped to receive a similar number of round-pointed levelling thrust screws 43 bearing against the surface 5 of cylinder 1.

In use, the devices are assembled and tried for systematic error in stitch-length of the fabric produced. The appearance of systematic error indicates that one part of the surface 25 is high or lowin respect to the true position. The ring 30 may now be removed and turned throu h a half or quarter revolution in order to ta e advantage of any compensatory error, the relative a justment of the ring for centering the web-holders between the needles bein permitted in an position by the slots 41. l further trial s ows differences of stitch-length at any quadrant of the ring 30 in respect to any other, the

ring at the place of the tightest stitch may now be lifted slightly by loosening screws 42 everywhere except at the place of loosest stitch and turning screws 43 until the actual performance of the knitting is uniform.

It will be understood that the tightness or looseness of stitch throughout the circumference may now be altered as usual, by controlling the relative position of cylinder 1 in respect to the stitch-cam.

It will be observed that, in case it is desirable to provide for a persistent difference in stitch-length between one place and another place in the fabric made, the described devices are capable of being used for this purpose as well as for correcting unintentional length differences in the product of the machine.

I claim:

1. In a knitting machine, a slotted needlebed and web-holders, and a positionin hearing for determining the positions 0 webholders in respect to the needle-bed, in combination with means for altering the relation position of portions of the positioning bear ing in relation to the needle-bed and in the direction of the needle slots in the needlebed to predetermined extents, and means for fixing the parts together in their altered relation.

2. In a knitting machine, the combination of a needle-bed and web-holders with a positioning bearing for the web-holders comprising an attachment of the needle-bed capable of motion in respect to the needle-bed through minute distances, and oppositelyacting hold-down and thrust screws adapted to fix the position of said bed and attachment relative to each other.

3. In a knitting machine, the combination of a needle-bed and web-holderswith a positioning bearing for the web-holders comprising an attachment of the needle-bed capable of fiexure in respect to the needle-bed through minute distances, whereby to alter the position of the web-holders and affect the length of the knit loops and means for fixing the support to the needle-bed in a position adjusted in relation to the length of knit loops produced at different arts of the needle-bed comprising opposite y-acting screws for flexin the Web-holder support.

4. In a circularlrnitting machine, a needlecylinder, a web-holder bed attached to the needle-cylinder, and a web-holder positioning bearing ring adapted to be attached to the cylinder internally thereof, in combination with thrust screws in the web-holder positioning bearing ring each adapted to bear on a surface of said cylinder, and holddown screws in threaded holes in said cylinder adapted to hold the said thrust-screws in firm contact with said surface.

5. In a knitting machine, a cylindrical needle-bed having internal surfaces and adapted for use with independently movable needles and cams for knitting by recession III of the needles below a verge or edge deterinternal surfaces of the needle-cylinder, and

means reactin with an internal surface of the cylinder or altering the angular position of a surface of the ring in relation to the axis of the cylindrical needle-bed.

6. In a knitting machine, the combination with a needle-cylinder having internal surfaces with a bearing ring for web-holders adapted to be rotated and angularly displaced minutely in respect to said internal surfaces, and thrust and hold-down screws in said rin respectively for adjusting and for fixin t e relative position of the parts Signe by me at Brooklyn, N. Y. this 17 20 day of December 1925. y

' R ALBERT E. PAGE.

internal surfaces of the needle-cylinder, and

of the needles below a verge or edge deter- 6. In a knitting machine, the combination mined by web-holders extending between the with a needle-cylinder having internal surneedles, the combination with a web-holder faces with a. bearing ring for web-holders bed fixed to the cylindrical needle-bed, an adapted to be rotated and angularly disinboard bearin ring for the lower ed es placed minutely in respect to said internal of the web-hol ers loosely interfitting wlth surfaces, and thrust and hold-down screws in said rin respectively for adjusting and for fixing t e relative position of the parts.

Signed by me at Brooklyn, N. Y. this 17 20 day of December 1925.

ALBERT E. PAGE.

means reactin with an internal surface of the cylinder Ear altering the angular position of a surface of the ring in relation to the axis of the cylindrical needle-bed.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,634,682 Granted July 5, 1927, to

ALBERT E. PAGE.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, line 87, claim I, strike out the word "relation"; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the ease in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 19th day of August, A. D. 1927.

M. 1. more,

Sell. Acting Commieeioner of Patents.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,634,682. Granted July 5, 1927, to

ALBERT E. PAGE.

it in hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, line 87; claim 1, strike out the word "relation"; and that the aid Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the one in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 19th day of August, A. D. 1927.

M. J. Moore. Seal. Acting Commissioner of Patentl. 

